Building-insert module and associated methodology

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated, building-insert module adapted for insertion to create in-place room infrastructure in an open, plural-story, main, column-and-beam building frame which is defined by columns and beams, the module including a prepared floor sub-module having an upper surface, and an at least partially completed, three-dimensional room sub-module anchored to and rising upwardly from the upper surface of the floor sub-module. The floor sub-module acts variously as a fabrication, transportation and installation-lifting pallet for the entire module, and the room sub-module is placed in a continuous state of vertical compression so as never, during transportation, lifting, and ultimate, in-place installation, to go into a state of vertical tension.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/191,694, filed Sep. 10, 2008, for “A Hierarchical-Autonomy,Footprint-Independent Building Insert Module System and Methodology”.The entire disclosure content of that provisional application is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention—multi-faceted in nature—pertains to plural-story, steelcolumn and beam building structure, and in particular, to structure andmethodology associated with the making, transporting, and installinginto such a structure of what is referred to herein as a building-insertmodule, or as an in-place room infrastructure—a unit which includes aprepared, pallet-like floor sub-module which supports an integrated roomsub-module. The room sub-module may be all, or only a part, of acompleted room structure, such as a bathroom, utility room or kitchen.Depending upon, and appropriately associated with, the particular designof building in question, the floor sub-module portion of the proposedmodule is fabricated so as to have a generally planar construction whichsubstantially matches (in plane, and perhaps also in certain basiccomponent structure), and which is directly integratable in a “seamless”manner with, the building's pre-designed, directly adjacent floorstructure.

One aspect, or facet, of the invention relates to preliminary,relative-size design-freedom considerations that are associated,hierarchically, with concepts of footprint-independence in two specificareas, or levels, involving the proposed module structure. One level ofsuch independence involves the invention feature that the perimetralfootprint of a module's room sub-module may have both positional anddimensional independence of the perimetral footprint of the associatedfloor sub-module, except for the fact that the footprint of the roomsub-module will normally always be fully, and appropriately,“under-supported” by the “footprint area” of the floor sub-module.

A second, hierarchical level of footprint independence is that theperimetral footprint of a module's floor sub-module may, in both sizeand position, be independent of the specific grid-configuration“footprint” of the horizontal beam arrangement—a rectangle perimeteredby four beams connected to columns—which defines a floor in a buildingframe. In other words, the size and configuration perimetrally of amodule's floor sub-module need not particularly fit in any certainmatching way with the usual, rectangular-grid footprint of beamsdeployed between columns on a floor level in a building frame.

Preferably, each floor sub-module includes suitably configured steelperimeter structures, such as angle-iron-formed structures, providedboth to accommodate integration of that sub-module with adjacent,conventional, non-module floor structure, and for enabling anchoring, asby weld-attaching, of the associated module to selected beams in a frameat desired locations on a floor in the frame. Such anchoring, incooperation with the mentioned perimeter configuring, positionallystabilizes a module in a column-and beam frame structure in a mannerwhich allows for the subsequent construction (typically including thepouring in place of concrete) of adjacent floor structure in a manner tobecome co-planar and “seamlessly” coextensive with the structure of themodule's floor sub-module.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the just outlined, two,hierarchical, levels of footprint independence offer a great deal ofdesign versatility in the thinking lying behind preparations for theconstruction of a plural-story building, and that therefore thisfootprint-independence “offering” is an important and notable featureand contribution of the invention. Such hierarchical footprintindependence, in the sense of offered versatility, clearly decouples (a)room sub-module footprint dimensions from supporting base palletfootprint dimensions, and (b) pallet footprint dimensions from receivingbuilding-frame beam-grid dimensions.

On another level, the invention involves a unique staged-assembling,transporting and delivering methodology, wherein each module isconstructed under controlled, precision, factory conditions, with theassembly sequence featuring preassembly of that module'sfloor-sub-module which thereafter acts as a supporting pallet for thethen, still-to-be-constructed room sub-module. From that point on, andthroughout the subsequent completion of construction, delivery andinstallation of the associated module, the floor sub-module retains therole of a supporting pallet.

Thus, one can imagine something like an initial, assembly-line process,wherein a module's floor sub-module is first built, and then, asappropriate, moved as from construction station to construction station,if that is the building approach which one chooses to use, for theimplementation of subsequent room sub-module, module-assembly steps. Forexample, in a typical practice of the invention, a precursor, floorsub-module “pallet”, which includes a steel perimeter frame (preferablythough not necessarily selectively oriented angle iron components), aframe-spanning, corrugated steel web expanse, and over this web expansea thin, poured, concrete floor, are first prepared. Thereafter, and tocomplete module construction, on this prepared pallet, the uprightframing, wall structures, internal surface finishing, internalappliances, fittings, equipment, etc., including, if desired,wall-carried, pre-established electrical and fluid infrastructure, arebuilt/applied, as by an assembly-line, factory process in anyappropriate manner.

At the completion of module assembly, the floor sub-module in a moduleacts then acts as a transporting pallet for the module, and later on,also as a supporting pallet through which a lifting force may beemployed at a building-frame construction site for the picking up,moving and placing of the module at the correct location within abuilding frame under construction. As was mentioned earlier, the floorsub-module portion in each module prepared for insertion into a buildingframe of a particular design is constructed so as to be substantiallylike, and fully compatible with, what will, after module insertion andpreliminary installation, become the constructed, adjacent floorstructure in the building.

Yet another important feature and facet of the methodology and structureof the present invention is module-internal compression involving theemployment of elongate, upright tension rods, also used as lifting andhandling “pick” rods, which are installed within and become part of eachmodule as post-pallet, room-sub-module construction is undertaken. Theserods have their bases anchored in the associated floor sub-module (thepallet), and extend upwardly therefrom to exposed, threaded, upper endswhich project upwardly from upper portions of the associated roomsub-module. Through these rods, near the completion of the assembly of amodule, via nuts which are threaded onto the rods, tension is developedat an appropriate level in the rods to produce an internal,“module-specific” compression in the included room-sub-module—acompression which plays several important roles in the preferableimplementation of this invention, and which preferably remains as apermanent feature of each module even after in-building installation.

In this context, the rod-tension/room-sub-module-compression which isthus introduced is such that, when a module is lifted through therods—acting then as “pick” rods—tension is relieved, or relaxed(reduced) somewhat in the rods, but not to the point where compressionin the room sub-module disappears. In other words, the associated roomsub-module always remains in a state of compression, whereby, amongother important consequences, room-finishing details, such aswall-surface details (like paint, wallpaper, etc.), when a module islifted to be placed within a building frame, do not go into tension, andmore specifically, are not allowed to enter a tension-stress conditionwherein fissures and fractures and other forms of handling-deformationdamage may take place. Accordingly, these pre-stressed, tensioned rods,which extend in a module from the floor sub-module pallet upwardlythrough, and to the top structure of the pallet-carried room sub-module,pre-load the entire room sub-module unit so as enable it to be picked upwithout such picking-up introducing damaging deformation strains intofinished room structure geometry and internal features during transportmovement of a module, and ultimate placement thereof into theappropriate location in a building frame structure.

Additionally, the employment of tension rods as described to introducepre-compression into the room sub-module portion of a module effectivelyfreezes and stabilizes the entire associated module into a state of highresistance to any seismic, or seismic-like, loads particularly duringthe stage of employment of a module where that module is being placedand initially anchored in place in what, at that point in time, will bean unfinished building structure.

Another very important feature of the present invention which is relateddirectly to the employment of compression-introducing tension rods asjust above described, is that, when a module has been placed at itsdesired location in a building frame, and ultimately when that modulebecomes integrated with other structure in a building, and recognizing,as has been stated above, that the condition of room sub-modulecompression is permanently retained, within an overall buildingstructure containing modules constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, these modules function as internally,independently-self-stabilized “nuggets” of seismic-damageresistance—significant nuggets of such resistance that are completelyindependent of whatever “higher-level” seismic-damage resistance may bebuilt into the associated, principal building frame structure per se.Thus, in, for example, a full-moment-frame building structure which istypically robustly resistant to seismic damage, within that structure,in accordance with the present invention, internally contained modulesare further protected against seismic damage by virtue of the fact oftheir independent, compressively pre-stressed and pre-loadedstabilization.

These and other important and unique features and advantages which areattained and offered by the present invention will become more fullyapparent as the description which follows below is read in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, two-vanishing-point, downwardly looking, andsomewhat simplified, perspective view of several, above-ground-levelstories, or floors, in an open, under-construction, plural-story main,column-and-beam building frame in which have been installed, as shown,several building-insert modules made and handled in accordance with thestructure and methodology of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generallyalong the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a greatly simplified, schematic, “fabrication-stage” drawingillustrating the making of a module in accordance with the methodologyof the present invention.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are greatly enlarged, common-scale, fragmentary,cross-sectional views taken generally along the lines 4-4, and 5-5,respectively, in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary view taken generally in the area inFIG. 3 which is partly encircled by the curved arrow numbered 6. Thisview shows an upper portion of a tensioning structure which ispreferably employed in modules made in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 7, which is drawn on a larger scale than that employed in FIG. 6,presents a fragmentary, cross-sectional elevation taken very generallyin the area in FIG. 3 which is partly encircled by the curved arrownumbered 7. This figure illustrates, effectively, the lower portion ofthe tensioning structure which is partially illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a simplified, relatively small-scale elevation illustrating atractor-trailer vehicle loaded for the delivery to a building site ofseveral modules (three) made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a high-level schematic, plan illustration describing visuallywhat are referred to herein as footprint-independence hierarchy featuresof the present invention—features that interrelate a beam-grid footprintin a building frame, a module floor sub-module footprint, and a moduleroom sub-module footprint.

FIG. 10 is a simplified and schematic, fragmentary, isometricillustration picturing the practice, according to the present invention,of lifting from a building-site staging area, and then maneuvering,placing and installing modules made in accordance with the presentinvention at different locations, on different stories or floors, in anopen, under-construction, column-and-beam main building frame, like thebuilding frame which is pictured in FIG. 1.

Regarding all of these drawing figures, it should be understood thatrelative dimensions and proportions that are employed are notnecessarily presented to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings, and referring first of all to FIG. 1,indicated generally at 20 is a fragment of an open, plural-story (pluralfloor level) building main frame (or building structure) formed ofupright, steel columns 32 and principal, horizontal, steel beams 24, thelatter being arranged in a conventional, rectangular-footprint, such asgrid (or beam-grid) footprint 26, whose sides and perimetral outline aredefined by four beams 24, and whose corners are defined by four columns22. As can be seen in this figure, beam-grid footprint 26, also referredto herein as a story pane, is indicated by an arrow-headed referencelead line at the upper left part of the figure pointing to an openrectangle of four, fully visible beams 24.

Installed in place, as will shortly be explained, in frame 20, inaccordance with a preferred and best-mode implementation of theinvention, is a system shown generally at 21 featuring at least one, butherein a plurality of, pre-fabricated building-insert module(s), six ofwhich appear variously in FIG. 1. The structures and natures of thesemodules will be described in text which later follows.

The columns and principal beams in frame 20 are interconnected at nodesof interconnection, such as nodes 28, through appropriate, full-momentconnections, such as the connections described in U.S. Pat. No.6,837,016. These nodal column/beam connections, whose details form nopart of the present invention, are illustrated herein only as simple(i.e., undetailed), column-side, beam-end nodal intersections. The factthat these connections are full-moment connections, however, is relevantto one performance-capability facet of one particular embodiment of theinvention. The disclosure content of the just-identified '016 U.S.patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Frame 20, which is illustrated in an open (as mentioned),under-construction condition, includes plural, above-ground floors (orstories) such as floors 30, 32, 34. Floors 30, 32, 34 are also referredto herein as story levels.

At appropriate design-determined locations at the common-floor (30, 32,34) principal beam levels in these respective floors, auxiliary beams,such as the two shown partially (each) at 36, may optionally beinstalled to extend between two other beams, such as between twoprincipal beams 24. Such auxiliary beams, where employed, cooperate withthe principal beams to furnish under-support for overhead structure,such as for a main building floor structure 38 (a conventionalunder-floor structure which does not form any part of the presentinvention), and, among other things, also for modules made and installedin accordance with the system and methodology of the presentinvention—three of such modules, each of which is also referred toherein as an in-place room infrastructure, being indicated generally at40, 42 on floor 30, and at 44 on floor 34. Each of these modules is inplace in frame 20 in a partially completed, earlier pre-fabricatedstate, with module 40 being specifically pictured in a state possessingsomewhat more included wall structure than that present in the other,five, illustrated modules, simply to illustrate the fact that modulesaccording to the present invention may be installed in a building framein different conditions of “initial” module completion.

Before turning detailed attention toward module-structure (andassociated aspects of the present invention), a building-floor-structurematter to note in FIG. 1, viewed now along with the left-side portion ofthe cross-sectional illustration presented in FIG. 2, is the nature ofcertain aspects of main building floor structure (really an under-floorstructure) 38. This under-floor structure (recognizing that many,different, specific and conventional types of under-floor structurecould be employed) is formed herein with appropriately, differentlysized (perimetered) horizontal panels 46. Each panel 46 includes acorrugated, horizontal steel expanse 48 which extends essentially to theperimetral edges of the panel, and distributed over this expanse, andover adjacent panels and their respective panel expanses 48, in apanel-to-panel “bridging” fashion, poured concrete 50, shownfragmentarily on floor 34, which produces a smooth-topped, common-plane,substantially overall “sub-floor” for the usual, later “finishing”installation of a more “dressy” over-floor structure (not shown). Theelongate corrugations in different panel expanses 48 may be orientedwith their long axes extending either in relative orthogonal, or incommon, directions, as appropriate.

Turning now to the structures and features of the building-insertmodules of this invention, and to associated module fabrication,handling and installation methodology, and referring initially andspecifically to module 40, this module will be treated herein as beingillustrative of the basic constructions of all of the modules proposedby the present invention, notwithstanding the fact that module 40, aswas mentioned above, possesses a slightly greater degree of initialpre-fabrication completion in relation to the five other modulesillustrated, for example, in FIG. 1. Accordingly, each module includestwo, main portions, or sub-modules, including, as seen for module 40, asubstantially planar floor sub-module 52, also referred to herein as apallet, and a partially completed, three-dimensional room sub-module 54.Room sub-module 54 is appropriately anchored to, and rises upwardlyfrom, the upper, generally planar surface 56 of the associated floorsub-module, 52. In the particular systemic embodiment of the presentinvention which is now being described, and simply for representativeillustration purposes herein, each of the modules pictured in FIG. 1 isdesigned with pre-installed equipment, etc., for making up portions of abathroom and portions of an adjacent kitchen. This condition of thesemodules is made clearly evident in FIG. 1. Those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that other kinds of room characters could easily beformed in the modules of the invention.

Adding attention now to FIGS. 3-7, inclusive, in addition to FIGS. 1 and2, for an extended discussion surrounding the modules of the presentinvention, and beginning with FIG. 3, here there is illustrated, in verysimple, high-level schematic-sequence form, a fabrication stagingprocess which is uniquely proposed by the present invention for moduleconstruction and early handling. Keeping module reference numerals, andsuccession thereof, now employed in FIG. 3 compatible with the smallamount of predecessor reference numerology employed so far with regardto module 40 in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 will be used illustratively to explain,generally, the basic fabrication methodology and chronology associatedwith this particular module. FIGS. 4-7, inclusive will be brought in, asappropriate, in support of FIG. 3 to describe in more detail modulestructural features which develop during module fabrication.

Regarding what is shown in these several drawing figures, and especiallyin FIG. 3, an “emerging” module, numbered 40, is there pictured in verysimple and idealized, full-rectangular form, including, ultimately in“module-completed” condition on the right side of the figure, a planarfloor sub-module 52 having a square-rectangular configuration, orfootprint, of one size, and a generally square-rectangular roomsub-module 54 (on floor sub-module 52) possessing four wallsintersecting at four “normal” corners, and having a smaller size,square-rectangular configuration, or footprint, which is offset, ornon-centered, laterally with respect to the footprint of the floorsub-module.

Accordingly, at the beginning of module construction, the first thing tooccur is the formation of floor sub-module 52, including the providingtherein of all structure which will be necessary to support, and workwith, the subsequently to-be-fabricated room sub-module 54. As waspreviously mentioned, floor sub-module 52 has a substantially planarconstruction which, in accordance with an important feature of practiceof the present invention, is intended to perform in various ways, andmore specifically, as a supporting pallet throughout (a) thefabrication, (b) the thereafter transportation to a building-frame site,and (c) the then ultimate installation into a building frame, of amodule.

Thus, appearing toward the lower left corner of FIG. 3 isinitially-constructed module floor sub-module 52 which, as was justmentioned generally above, is illustrated in FIG. 3 in the form of arelatively simple, basic square. This floor sub-module includes agenerally rectangular perimetral frame 58 which defines the perimetralconfiguration and outline of the floor sub-module, and morespecifically, defines for this sub-module what is referred to herein asa defined floor sub-module footprint. Perimetral frame 58 herein isformed for illustration purposes from four, end-joined, steel angle-ironcomponents 60, 62, 64, 66, which components define what is referred toherein as lateral edge structure (with edges) for floor sub-module 52.

With respect to these four angle-iron components, components 60, 64, 66are oriented with one each of their two flanges occupying an uprightplane “banding” a lateral side, or edge, of the floor sub-module, andwith their other, respective, flanges, in-turned inwardly under theseedges on the underside of the floor sub-module. Component 62, on theother hand, is oriented somewhat differently, and more specifically,with one of its flanges lying in an upright plane along an edge in thefloor sub-module, and its other flange extending generally horizontallyand laterally outwardly from that edge.

These conditions for the mentioned, four angle-iron components arepictured not only in FIG. 3, but especially well for components 62, 64and 66 in FIGS. 4 and 5. A reason for the somewhat different,outwardly-flange-projecting disposition provided for angle-ironcomponent 62 is that this disposition makes the outwardly-turned flangein this component available as a support shelf for assisting in lateral,welding (or other) joinder with appropriate steel structure furnishedadjacent the edge of a building floor panel 46, as is illustrated, andas will later be more fully explained, in and with respect to FIG. 2 inthe drawings which illustrates such joinder in relation to the floorsub-module which forms part of module 44.

As was mentioned, floor sub-module 52 is prepared to include suitablyall structure which is necessary for the subsequent anchoring to it ofstill-to-be-fabricated room sub-module 54. In order to maintainsimplicity in the drawings, and yet to focus attention importantly onanother significant facet and feature of the present invention whichinvolves such “anchoring” structure, illustrated schematically at theleft side in FIG. 3 in the drawings, with respect to the stage of modulefabrication which involves the making of floor sub-module 52, are four,upwardly extending, elongate, threaded tensioning rods, or tensionedstructure, 68, three of which rods are illustrated only fragmentarily inthe FIG. 3, and one of which is illustrated in full length, capped atits upper end by a module-lifting eyelet 70 (to be further discussedlater herein).

These tensioning rods are also referred to herein as module-specificforce-applying structure, and the rods, along with eyelets 70, arecollectively referred to as pick structure.

Continuing with a description of the construction of floor sub-module 52as illustrated herein, suitably joined, as by welding, inwardly of, andspanning the area bounded by, the four angle-iron components that definethe perimeter structure in the floor sub-module, is a corrugated expanseof sheet steel 72 (see particularly FIGS. 4, 5 and 7), with the longaxes of these corrugations in the particular floor sub-module now beingdescribed being shown at several locations at 74 in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7.

Formed as by pouring over corrugated expanse 72, and within the boundingstructure furnished by the four angle-iron components, is a concretefloor body, or simply concrete, 76 which has a smooth, substantiallyplanar, upper surface 78.

The previously mentioned, but not fully illustrated, structuralcomponents which are furnished within floor sub-module 52 to promote andsupport overhead anchoring of the soon-to-be-fabricated, overhead roomsub-module 54, are preferably suitably anchored within the “volume” ofthe floor sub-module, captured either by attachment to a portion ofsteel corrugated expanse 72, and/or additionally captured by concrete76. With reference made for a moment to FIG. 7, here one can see thatthe lower end of each tensioning rod 68, such as the one here shown, isfitted with an anchoring component 80 which is embedded in concrete 76.

Continuing with the high-level, module-fabrication description now beinggiven in relation to FIG. 3, a broad arrow 82 represents transitioningof completed floor sub-module 52 to the next, sequential stage(s) forfollow-on fabrication of overhead room sub-module 54. Significantly,floor sub-module 52 functions here and now as a fabrication-handlingpallet for the entire remainder of the module-construction process. Two,nominally rectangular walls 84, 86 are pictured centrally in FIG. 3 torepresent undergoing construction of the mentioned room sub-module.Specific, room sub-module infrastructure, such as bathroom, kitchen orother infrastructure is not pictured, and is not important to anunderstanding of the methodology of the invention. In an actualfabrication procedure, of course, appropriate infrastructure of thenature just generally indicated would be installed at the appropriatetime(s) during module fabrication.

In relation to what is shown centrally in FIG. 3, it should be notedthat the earlier-mentioned placement of tensioning rods 68 has been donewith respect to the defined footprint of floor sub-module 52, wherebythese tensioning rods will extend appropriately upwardly through, forexample, wall structure to be constructed in the associated, overhead,room sub-module. With respect to walls 84, 86, three of these tensioningrods 68 are pictured in dashed lines included at appropriate “corner”locations within those walls, with the associated lifting eyelets 70disposed free and clear above the walls. The fourth tensioning rod 68is, in the central portion of FIG. 3, shown only fragmentarily.

A broad arrow 88, which is somewhat like previously mentioned arrow 82,indicates transition handling of what is now a substantially completedroom sub-module 54 (on floor sub-module 52) to a final stage in thefabrication sequence which is pictured on the upper right side in FIG.3. Accordingly, room sub-module 54 is here shown completed as a simplecube, with two more rectangular walls 90, 92 now in place, and with allof the four, relevant, previously installed, tensioning-rod-connected,lifting eyelets 70 clearly pictured at elevations above the completedwalls in the room sub-module.

One thing to note particularly with what is illustrated especially atthe upper, right-hand corner of FIG. 3 is that what may be thought of asthe defined footprint of room sub-module 54—a rectangle, or square—istruly completely independent of the defined footprint of associatedfloor sub-module 52. More particularly, in relation to the simplifiedshowing of module 40 which appears in FIG. 3, the defined footprint ofroom sub-module 54 is both smaller than, and contained within, thelateral boundaries of the defined footprint of floor sub-module 52, withthe room sub-module being located for representative illustrationpurposes laterally off-center on floor sub-module 52, and specificallydisposed toward one corner of the defined, generally rectangularfloor-sub-module footprint.

Referring especially now to FIGS. 3 and 6, threaded/placed onto theupper exposed ends of tensioning rods 68 are appropriate nut and washerassemblies, like the one shown at 94 in FIG. 6. These assemblieseffectively rest herein directly on, or otherwise indirectly, bearinglyvertically upon, the upper portions of appropriate upper wall framemembers, such as frame members 96, 98 in walls 90, 92, respectively.Assemblies 94 are employed to be tightened on the associated, receivingtensioning rods to produce, generally as indicated by the arrows 100appearing in FIGS. 3 and 6, a user-selected level of verticalcompression in the associated room sub-module.

Purposes for this established compression include, inter alia, (a)assuring that when the associated module is picked up, the roomsub-module therein will not go into tension, so that, for example, any“delicate” wall-surfacing materials (or other tension-at-riskmaterials/structures) will be protected against cracking/fracture/etc.damage, and also (b) to assure that, as the overall module is handledand moved, and when thereafter the module has been placed at the desiredlocation within a building frame, such as within building frame 20, itis and will be continuously stabilized against potentially damagingdeformations which might be caused by any form of jostling, such asmight be produced by a seismic event. Once installed within a buildingframe, such compression stabilization is preferably retained so as toproduce a situation wherein an installed module, and its sub-modules(particularly the room sub-module), possess a protective stability whichis completely independent of that present in any other surroundingstructure, including, as an illustration, a receiving moment-framestructure. A significant consequence of this condition is that abuilding-insert module constructed, handled, and installed in a buildingframe, in accordance with the present invention, is internally guardedwith dimensional stability and robustness, all enhanced, of course whencombined with the native stability of a receiving building frame whichnaturally possesses it own inherent stability security.

Those skilled in the art will understand quickly how to assess whatlevel of compression to introduce into a room sub-module simply bytaking into account the lifting force which will be necessary to pick upthe associated module, and by establishing a compression level wherebywhen that lifting force is applied, and there is no longer anyunderlying support, such as ground support, for the associated module, acertain amount of vertical compression, which is completely userpre-determinable, will remain in the room sub-module structure so as toprevent that sub-module from entering a state of vertical tension.

On a related point, experience has shown that when such a“tension-inhibiting” level of compression is introduced into a roomsub-module, that level of compression affords an adequate measure ofroom-sub-module stabilization, though it is certainly recognized that apracticer of the present invention might choose, if desired, tointroduce an even greater level of compression.

When module fabrication has been completed, and a collection of modulesthat are intended to be installed in a particular building frame, suchas in building frame 20, is readied for delivery, the included modulesare appropriately picked up and placed on a transport structure, such ason the trailer in the tractor-trailer vehicle which is shown generallyat 102 in FIG. 8. Here, three completed modules 104, 106, 108 are shownon the trailer section of tractor-trailer 102. During module transport,the floor sub-module in each transported module functions conveniently,according to the invention, as a transport pallet for the associatedmodule.

At the appropriate building site, such as the building site showngenerally at 110 in FIG. 10, delivered modules, such as just-mentionedmodules 104, 106, 108, are placed appropriately in a ground stagingzone, such as the staging zone, also referred to herein as abuilding-frame-insertion staging site, indicated generally at 112 inFIG. 10, from which zone a machine, such as a crane (not shown) havinglifting cable structure like that shown generally at 114, may be used topick up (pick) and move the relevant modules to their assigned places ina building frame shown at 116 in this figure. Frame 116 is likepreviously mentioned frame 20 shown in FIG. 1. In order to relate whatis now being described about module handling at a building site to whatappears in FIG. 1, crane cable structure 114 is also shown in FIG. 1,attached to eyelets 70 associated with module 40.

Further describing FIG. 10, such a picking, moving and placing operationis schematically illustrated in this figure for module 104 which isillustrated in three different positions in the figure—(1) on the groundin zone 112, (2) lifted (see arrow 118) by crane cables 114 (which areattached to lifting eyelets 70) to an elevation above the ground butoutside frame 116, (3) appropriately laterally shifted (see arrow 120),and then (4) lowered, as indicated by arrow 122, to the appropriatebuilding-floor location intended for it in frame 116.

It will be immediately evident that during this building-siteinstallation procedure as generally illustrated in FIG. 10, the floorsub-module portions of each module, such as the floor sub-module portionof module 104, through the operative connections which exist therewiththrough the tensioning rods and the lifting eyelets of the mentionedpick structure, act as lifting, and installation-handling, pallets fortheir respective modules—another useful feature of the presentinvention.

Returning attention now for a moment to FIG. 2, this figure helps toexplain an important feature of the invention which involves the factthat, preferably, the floor sub-module structure in each module which isintended to be installed in building frame 20 is constructed with acorrugated steel expanse and an overlying, poured distribution ofconcrete which construction substantially matches the same kind ofconstruction employed in each building floor (or building sub-floor)panel 46. When a module is properly installed in place in frame 20, andwhen thereafter surrounding building floor panels 46 are installed, andconcrete for and over the sub-structures in these panels appropriatelypoured, the building frame floor panels (46) lie substantiallycoextensive and coplanar with the floor sub-modules in modules presenton each common floor level in the building frame.

This condition is precisely what is illustrated (fragmentarily) in FIG.2, where the illustrated building floor panel 46 lies immediatelyadjacent the floor sub-module, shown at 124, in module 44, which floorsub-module includes an angle-iron perimeter frame 126, aperimeter-frame-spanning expanse of corrugated steel 128, and a pouredbody of concrete 130 overlying expanse 128, and disposed withinperimeter frame 126. This structural situation produces a substantiallycoplanar condition for the upper, smooth surfaces of all of the buildingfloor panels and all of the module floor sub-modules that exist on agiven floor in frame 20. Such a common plane is illustrated by adash-dot-line 132 in FIG. 2.

Turning attention finally to FIG. 9 the in the drawings, here there isindicated very generally at 134 a schematic, plan illustration ofanother one of the important features of the invention—the feature whichinvolves the fact that there is substantial dimensional andconfigurational independence between the three kinds of definedfootprints which have been described and discussed above herein. Morespecifically, there is a specific independence which exists between theso-called beam-grid footprint in a building frame, such as previouslydescribed beam-grid footprint 26, and the defined footprints (notnecessarily all the same) of the floor sub-modules in modules which areto be employed in such a frame. Additionally, there is a similar,specific independence between the defined floor sub-module footprints ofa module and the defined footprints (also not necessarily all the same)of associated room sub-modules included in the same modules.

The significances and special utility of this hierarchical, footprintindependence has been explained earlier herein.

In FIG. 9, a beam-grid footprint is defined by the four solid lines 136,138, 140, 142 which appear in this figure.

Two differently configured and differently sized, defined module floorsub-module footprints are shown respectively by a solid-line square 144,and by a dash-dot-line rectangle 146. The relative dispositions of thesetwo floor sub-module footprints in FIG. 9 helps to illustrate thebeam-grid-footprint/module-footprint substantial independence justmentioned.

Within floor sub-module footprint 144, two, different, defined roomsub-module footprints are illustrated, with one being shown by asolid-line rectangle 148, and the other being shown by adash-double-dot-line rectangle 150. As can be seen, these two roomsub-module footprints differ in size and configuration, and arepositioned relative to one another in FIG. 9 at different locations overdefined floor sub-module footprint 144.

The discussions presented herein regarding the several footprintindependences which are featured by the present invention should beunderstood in the context that such independences may take on a widevariety of relative characteristics depending upon a user's wishes andresulting building design. Accordingly, no specific, relativeindependence regarding different, defined footprints is dictated bypractice of the present invention.

From a methodologic point of view, what is proposed by the presentinvention, generally expressed, is a building-insert module methodologyassociated with an open building frame which is defined by columns andbeams, with this methodology including the steps of (a) creating aprefabricated module structure including (1) a floor sub-module havingan upper surface, and (2) an at least partially completed,three-dimensional room sub-module anchored to and rising upwardly fromthe upper surface of the floor sub-module, with the created floorsub-module performing as a fabrication pallet for the creating of theroom sub-module, (b) transporting the created module to abuilding-frame-insertion staging site located adjacent such a buildingframe, using the module's floor sub-module as a transport pallet, and(c) from the mentioned staging site, lifting the thus transported moduleand inserting it into a selected location within the frame using themodule's floor sub-module as a lifting pallet.

In a more specific sense, this methodology further includes, followingcreation of the mentioned room sub-module, placing that sub-module in acondition of vertical compression, and even more specifically, creatingthis condition of vertical compression utilizing tensioned pickstructure which forms part of the created module, and implementing suchvertical compression to a level which will not allow the room sub-moduleto enter a state of vertical tension during free lifting of theassociated module.

Accordingly, a preferred and best-mode embodiment, and manner ofpracticing, the present invention have been described and illustratedherein, with certain modifications and variations specifically mentionedand/or suggested, and it is intended that the following claims toinvention will be construed to include all of that described andsuggested subject matter, as well as all modification subject matterwhich may naturally come to the minds of those generally skilled in therelevant art.

1. A system featuring a prefabricated, building-insert module adaptedfor insertion to create in-place room infrastructure in an open,plural-story, main, column-and-beam building frame which is defined bycolumns and principal beams, said module comprising a floor sub-modulehaving an upper surface, and an at least partially completed,three-dimensional room sub-module anchored to and rising upwardly fromsaid upper surface of said floor sub-module.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein said room sub-module has a defined footprint, and said floorsub-module has a perimetral configuration and outline defining a floorsub-module footprint which is permissively independent of said roomsub-module's said defined footprint.
 3. The system of claim 1, whereinthe building frame has plural story levels each characterized by a gridof relatively angularly disposed beams defining a plurality ofdistributed, next-adjacent story panes having perimetral outlines eachdefining a beam-grid footprint, and said floor sub-module's said definedfootprint is permissively independent of said beam-grid footprint. 4.The system of claim 1, wherein the building frame is a plural-storybuilding frame, and said module includes pick structure operativelyconnected to said floor sub-module and said room sub-module, constructedto enable machine lifting of the module to an elevation in the framewhich is above ground level using the module's floor sub-module as alifting pallet.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said pick structureincludes elongate tensioned structure anchored to said floor sub-module,and placing said room sub-module in a condition of vertical compression.6. The system of claim 4, wherein the building frame is made of steel,and said floor sub-module includes lateral edges formed with steellateral edge structure which is attachable, as by welding, to the steelin said frame, and a concrete floor body contained within said edgestructure.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the building frame is madeof steel, and said floor sub-module includes lateral edges formed withsteel lateral edge structure which is attachable, as by welding, to thesteel in said frame, and a concrete floor body contained within saidedge structure.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said floor sub-moduleis constructed to act, for said module of which it is a part, at leastas one of (a) a room sub-module fabrication pallet, (b) a moduletransport pallet, (c) a module lifting pallet, and (d) a fire-resistingstructure for and adjacent the underside of said room sub-module.
 9. Abuilding-insert module methodology associated with an open buildingframe which is defined by columns and beams, said methodology comprisingcreating a prefabricated module structure including (a) a floorsub-module having an upper surface, and (b) an at least partiallycompleted, three-dimensional room sub-module anchored to and risingupwardly from the upper surface of the floor sub-module, with thecreated floor sub-module performing as a fabrication pallet for thecreating of the room sub-module, transporting the module to an insertionstaging site located adjacent such a building frame using the module'sfloor sub-module as a transport pallet, and from the mentioned stagingsite, lifting the thus transported module and inserting it into aselected location within the frame using the module's floor sub-moduleas a lifting pallet.
 10. The methodology of claim 9, which furthercomprises, following creation of the mentioned room sub-module, placingthat sub-module in a condition of vertical compression.
 11. Themethodology of claim 10, wherein said placing in compression involvesutilizing tensioned pick structure which forms part of the createdmodule, and said placing in compression is implemented to create a stateof vertical compression in the room sub-module which will not allow theroom sub-module to enter a state of vertical tension during saidlifting.
 12. A plural-story building structure comprising acolumn-and-beam building frame defining plural floor levels, on at leastone of said levels, an installed, and building-frame-attached,building-insertion module having a floor sub-module and anoverhead-supported room sub-module, and module-specific force-applyingstructure, independent of said building frame and operatively interposedsaid floor and room sub-modules in said module, placing and holding saidroom sub-module in vertical compression.